09
Jun

The Care and Feeding of Blogs – 3 Tips

If the brand blog is withering on the virtual vine, it might be time to reassess the content and find out where the disconnect is. Social Media Examiner founder Michael Stelzner, in a guest post on HubSpot Blog, identifies 7 mistakes that businesses commonly make in corporate blogs. Here’s a recap of two biggies:

You blog about you. So you can do this and your product can do that. (In the words of my 90-year-old grandmother, “Big whoop.”) Michael writes that social media users want you to solve their problem and share relevant information. Be a problem solver, not a product seller.

There’s zero reason for readers to return. Michael cites a study that shows only 20% of blog readers return. To generate return visits, the folks at Social Media Examiner offer a free video tutorial in exchange for a sign up. Do you have an incentive to entice repeat blog business?

I’ll add another mistake that I’ve come across: Don’t expect overnight success. Building a social media following doesn’t happen overnight. A few months back, social media marketing master David Meerman Scott reached more than 50,000 Twitter followers—he did it by, among other things, penning more than 400 blog posts, publishing four ebooks, speaking on dozens of webinars, and tweeting 4,300 times. He built his social media presence with a blend of engagement, connection, and good ol’ fashioned elbow grease. Brands who want success in the social sphere should expect a positive online presence to take time and effort.